China Sourcing Service
Unlock the Chinese market by working with us to source your products and suppliers.
We provide a complete sourcing solution which includes:
supplier outreach & negotiation
product branding & development
branded inserts, labels & packaging
quality control & inspection
Our approach to sourcing removes uncertainty from the process through clear communication and transparency.
China Sourcing
Service List
Our premium sourcing service helps you get what you need from the Chinese market.
Product Branding
We work with suppliers to establish which branding options are available for your product.
Freight Forwarding
We work with our partners to ship your product in bulk to wherever you need it.
Bundle Creation
We source products from multiple suppliers and pack them into one package that you sell as a bundle.
Price Negotiation
We negotiate prices with suppliers so that you get a fair deal without being overcharged.
Product Search
We find the highest quality versions of your products from highly vetted suppliers.
Quality Inspection
We inspect all samples and final product batches to ensure premium quality and zero defects.
Sourcing Process
1. Discovery
You let us know what products you want and how you want to brand them. We get samples and explore packaging options that would best suit your products.
2. Production & Inspection
If you’re satisfied with the samples then we go into production. We order your products, packaging and/or inserts then check the quality of the new batch.
3. Shipping
We send your products to wherever they need to go. If you are using our fulfillment service then we keep them in our China fulfillment center. We also ship abroad.
Pricing
| Purchase Order Value | Sourcing Fee |
|---|---|
| <$1,000 | $100 |
| $1,000-$5,000 | 10% |
| $5,000-$25,000 | 8% |
| $25,000-$50,000 | 6% |
| >$50,000 | 5% |
These prices are for sourcing alone. Sourcing for our fulfillment service is free of charge with >10 orders/day.
How You Benefit
Free Quote in 24 hours
Uncertainty kills many businesses, which is why our easy quoting system delivers a crystal clear breakdown of your COGS.
Fulfillment From China
If you decide to work with us on the fulfillment side as well, we send your products directly to your customers with fast and cost-effective shipping lines.
Accelerated Growth
Organic growth is driven by customer experience. High quality products & packaging lead to happier customers and increased exposure.
After-Sales Service
We negotiate directly with partners to protect against and compensate for any lost packages or cartons.
No More Headaches
You no longer have to deal with the shock of receiving products which are different from the samples you agreed to.
Extended Team
We seamlessly integrate with your team via Slack, WeChat or Skype to build a self-sufficient support system to alert and resolve any issues promptly.
Additional Services
We work with our partners to provide design templates and photography services, as well as UGC style videos.
Build a Real Brand
One of the perks of buying products in bulk means that you can build a real brand around them.
Lower Lead Times
We work with our suppliers to get your products made and delivered to their final destination quickly.
Who Is Our Sourcing Service For?
You Found a Winner
You’ve been testing on AliExpress or other platforms and have just found your winning product.
You need to reliably source the highest quality version of your product at the best possible price, brand it, and ship it from China.
Scaling to the Moon
You’re scaling your advertising and employing multi-channel marketing to create consistent sales.
You want to create a real brand around your business, so you want an experienced team to brand your product, packaging and inserts.
E-com Austronaut
You have a defined advertising & marketing strategy that is consistently delivering sales at a large scale.
You’re not happy with the state of your current supply chain, and are looking for a premium service that better reflects your brand identity.
China Sourcing FAQ Guide
If you’ve considered sourcing from China, you’re not alone. Last year, China exported goods with a value of 24 trillion yuan ($3.3trn USD) in total.
Continue reading below to see every question and answer you need to know about China Sourcing.
What Is China Sourcing?
The term “sourcing” refers to finding products or components from a specific source. “China sourcing” is to find products from suppliers in China.
Why Source From China?
Branded dropshipping is a general term that can encompass white label or private label products. In most cases you will be selling white-labelled products.
White label products are generic and sold to multiple retailers who then brand and price the products.
In your case you’ll be asking your supplier to organize branding for your product, but you won’t have exclusive rights to the unbranded version they hold.
Private label products are exclusively sold to one retailer and are unique to them.
Why Is China a Good Place to Source From?
The core aspects of what makes China a good place to source from are:
cheap factors of production (including land, labor & capital)
a highly efficient workforce
cost efficient & fast shipping
Will There Be Problems With Quality When Sourcing From China?
China has all kinds of products which vary greatly in quality.
By doing your due-diligence you can make sure you don’t have any problems with product quality.
This might mean inspecting product samples before placing orders, and paying more for premium quality products.
How to Source From China?
Generally, people source products and suppliers from China through various methods:
Platforms such as Alibaba.com allow you to source products in bulk.
Sourcing Agents such as E-commpanion can help you source products and provide quality inspection services on top.
Trade Shows such as the Canton Fair in China allow you to connect with suppliers in person.
How Can You Source Products From China?
You can source products yourself from China by going to China and attending trade shows, then working privately with suppliers.
You make payments via wire transfer to avoid any fees incurred by working with a sourcing agent or platform.
However, working with suppliers directly is not the safest method for ensuring you’re happy with the overall sourcing process.
How to Buy Directly From China?
The easiest way to buy in bulk from China is by using a sourcing agent. Sourcing agents will offer multiple means of payment for you to choose from so that you can pay for the product directly.
You can also use platforms such as Alibaba, DHGate and Made-in-China. AliExpress and CJ Dropshipping are good for dropshipping, and Temu offers affordable prices for consumers to buy directly from China.
How to Buy Directly From Chinese Manufacturers?
You can buy directly from Chinese manufacturers on 1688.com, but you need an entity in China to be able to pay them.
1688 is the Chinese version of Alibaba, which is the best platform to find manufacturers if you can’t use Chinese platforms. Just double check that you’re dealing with actual manufacturers and not trading companies, if that is your goal.
Tips
Use platforms with some sort of trade assurance when placing large orders.
Have clear requirements that need to be met when communicating with your suppliers.
Contact more than one supplier so that you have something to compare to when making decisions over certain aspects of the sourcing process.
Make sure you’re given the cost per product for the quantity you plan to order, as you should receive a discount for ordering more.
Check with your supplier if they can organize shipping, and how much shipping will cost. You can also ask for various shipping options at different speeds and prices, such as air and sea freight, express and economy.
Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid paying in full at the start when you haven’t worked with a supplier before.
Do not place an order without having checked samples first.
Do not overpay for shipping when using a freight forwarder. Get multiple quotes so you know that you’re not being scammed.
Do not accept anything less than the quality of samples sent earlier, once you go into full production.
Be extremely wary of accepting last minute changes that may be detrimental to the product.
How Can You Find Reliable Chinese Suppliers?
It’s difficult to always be 100% sure that your supplier is reliable, unless you have a long history of working with them. The easiest way to determine if they’re good or not is by how well they communicate with you.
If you’re using Alibaba make sure they accept Alibaba Trade Assurance so that you can claim your money back if something goes wrong.
Work with suppliers who accept high security payment methods as opposed to Western Union.
You can also have a sourcing agent in China vet suppliers for you to weed out the bad ones.
Red Flags to Avoid
If the price offered is half of multiple other suppliers for the same product then it’s a red flag.
If they refuse to send samples, it’s a red flag.
If they are selling products from large, well-known brands, then it’s likely that they’re counterfeit.
You should also be wary if they ask you to pay a personal Chinese bank account.
What Are Some Problems When Sourcing From China?
Some suppliers may have unfavorable MOQs (minimum order quantities).
For example, if you want to order 100 units of a product but the MOQ is 500 to meet your requirements.
Other issues stem from them having trouble communicating in your language. Apart from that, there are sometimes suppliers or freight forwarders that try to scam you.
Should You Use a Sourcing Agent?
You should use a sourcing agent if you’re inexperienced in sourcing from China, and don’t want to spend the time or go through the hassle of learning how.
How Much Does a China Sourcing Agent Charge?
A China sourcing agent usually charges between 5-10% of the value of the product.
How Do You Pay a Sourcing Agent?
What Things Do You Need to Prepare Before Buying From China?
You should have the following figured out before you move forward with sourcing from China:
Budget
Products to source
Product order quantity
Destination Address (of where the products are to be delivered)
What Questions Should You Ask Potential Suppliers?
How much does the product cost at different quantities?
Typically, the more you order the cheaper price per unit you’ll get.What are your lead times?
Lead time refers to the length of time it takes to receive an order after placing it. You’ll want to compare lead times from different suppliers.Do you provide DDP shipping?
Delivered Duty Paid is the least hassle because everything including customs clearances are taken care of for you.
Is There a Language Barrier When Sourcing From China?
The extent to which the language barrier can become a problem depends on the Chinese supplier.
If they are on Alibaba and are used to dealing with English-speaking clients then there’s less likely to be issues.
If they are a supplier that cannot communicate in your language at all, then you will either need to communicate through a third party or find another supplier.
Is the Canton Fair a Good Place to Source Chinese Products?
The Canton fair is the largest trade fair in China, so it is a great opportunity to source new products and suppliers. It’s also a great place to get inspiration for new ideas by walking around.
Does Amazon Source From China?
A lot of Amazon sellers source products from China, and many of them are actually Chinese themselves.
Why Are Goods From China So Cheap?
Contrary to popular belief, not all products in China are bad quality.
The reason goods in China are generally cheaper than in Western countries is because the cost of capital and labor is cheaper.
How Do Goods From China Get to the US or UK?
If you’re sourcing from China then you’ll predominantly be using sea freight or air freight to transport goods to the UK or US.
Air freight is faster and more expensive, while sea transport is slower and cheaper.
To learn more about Shipping from China read this article.
Have you ever considered what it would look like to handover your entire supply-side workload? No more negotiating with suppliers, manually fulfilling orders or worrying about slow, unreliable shipping.
Hi there, I’m Niall from E-commpanion. Our team supports scaling dropshipping & ecommerce businesses by providing a complete supply-chain solution. Would you like to see how much our service would cost for your product?